sock

¹

[ sok ]

noun

, plural socks sox [soks].

1. a short stocking usually reaching to the calf or just above the ankle.
2. a lightweight shoe worn by ancient Greek and Roman comic actors.
3. comic writing for the theater; comedy or comic drama. Compare buskin ( def 4 ).
4. Furniture. a raised vertical area of a club or pad foot.
5. sock puppet ( def 3 ).

sock

²

[ sok ]

verb (used with object)

1. to strike or hit hard.

noun

1. a hard blow.
2. a very successful show, performance, actor, etc.:

   The show was a sock.

adjective

1. extremely successful:

   a sock performance.

verb phrase

1. to close or ground because of adverse weather conditions:

   The airport was socked in.

2. to put into savings or reserve.

sock

¹

/ sɒk /

noun

1. a cloth covering for the foot, reaching to between the ankle and knee and worn inside a shoe
2. an insole put in a shoe, as to make it fit better
3. a light shoe worn by actors in ancient Greek and Roman comedy, sometimes taken to allude to comic drama in general (as in the phrase sock and buskin ) See buskin
4. another name for windsock
5. pull one's socks up informal.
   to make a determined effort, esp in order to regain control of a situation
6. put a sock in it slang.
   be quiet!

verb

1. tr to provide with socks
2. socked in slang.
   (of an airport) closed by adverse weather conditions

sock

²

/ sɒk /

verb

1. usually tr to hit with force
2. sock it to
   to make a forceful impression on

noun

1. a forceful blow

Other Words From

• sockless adjective
• sockless·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sock¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English sok, socke, Old English socc “light shoe, slipper, stocking,” from Latin soccus

Origin of sock²

First recorded in 1690–1700; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of sock¹

Old English socc a light shoe, from Latin soccus, from Greek sukkhos

Origin of sock²

C17: of obscure origin

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. knock one's / the socks off. knock ( def 29 ).

Example Sentences

He met his wife, Mary Lou, in 1956, brunette and pretty, wearing bobby socks at a fraternity mixer at Michigan State.

From Salon

Make sure to pair with an equally stylish sock.

From Los Angeles Times

The number has become so closely tied to the school that the on-campus store sells hats, T-shirts, shot glasses and even baby socks adorned with 47.

From Los Angeles Times

With some luck, though, the chief executive of the commuter rail service will have socks.

From Los Angeles Times

Through a small crevice in the rubble they spot the trapped boy, trying to move his legs, his babygrow and a single blue sock visible to the rescue crew.

From BBC

Related Words

• belt

More About Sock

What is a basic definition of sock?

A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the foot that usually extends to around the ankle. As a verb, sock means to hit hard. The word sock has a few other senses as a noun and an adjective.

A sock is worn on the foot and is almost always made of cloth, such as cotton or wool. It usually covers the entire foot and stretches to around the ankle but may sometimes extend higher. Socks are almost always made or sold in pairs, in order to cover both feet.

The plural of sock is socks or, rarely, sox. Sox rarely appears in formal writing with two exceptions: The names of the American baseball teams the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox (Go Sox!).

• Real-life examples: You are probably wearing a pair of socks right now. Soccer players wear knee-high socks. Most people don’t wear socks while wearing sandals.
• Used in a sentence: Whenever I do laundry, I somehow end up with a leftover sock.

As a verb, sock means to hit something or someone really hard. This sense of sock can be used literally or figuratively.

• Used in a sentence: I watched as the boxer was socked right in the jaw and fell down.

In this sense, sock can also refer to a hard hit.

• Used in a sentence: After the boxer got a sock in the jaw, he fell down.

Where does sock come from?

The first records of clothing item sock come from before 900. It comes from the Latin soccus, meaning “slipper.” The first records of the verb sense of sock come from around 1690, and its origin is unknown.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to sock?

• sox (alternative plural spelling)
• sockless (adjective)
• socklessness (noun)

What are some synonyms for sock?

• stocking
• belt
• bash
• clobber
• slam
• wallop

What are some words that share a root or word element with sock? 

• sock puppet
• windsock
• sock in
• sock it to

What are some words that often get used in discussing sock?

• shoe
• foot
• ankle
• knee
• cotton
• wool

How is sock used in real life?

Sock is a common word that means a piece of clothing worn on the foot or to hit something very hard.

There is not a pair of socks fluffy enough for this weather.

— Elena 💫 (@ElenaRiehl) February 15, 2021

You know you are getting older when a missing sock frustrates you the most.

— Arslan Tariq (@arslantariq115) February 14, 2021

Dow tumbles more than 200 points as stocks get socked by spiking oil prices and a bleak view of the economy from the Fed.

— Breaking News (@BreakingNews) June 11, 2008

Try using sock!

True or False?

A sock is usually worn on the foot.